World's Youngest Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

While many kids of his age love watching cartoons or playing video games, 9 year-old Marko Calasan likes to unwind with books on systems administration and systems engineering. Courting fame is nothing new to young Marko Calasan, who won recognition as Microsoft Certified Whiz Kid at age 6 when he was crowned as the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator. In December 2009, at age nine, he became the youngest Microsoft certified Systems Engineer.

Hailing from Skopje, in Macedonia, Marko already works for a non-profit organization as a systems administrator remotely maintaining their office network. Popularly referred to as the ’Mozart of Computers’ by the local press, Marko dreams of becoming a computer scientist. Born to IT professionals, Marko enjoys solving complex computer engineering problems and voicing his views in online forums for computer professionals during leisure hours.

Marko poses in front of his workstation at his home in Skopje. Marko works on a computer at his job as a system administrator for a non-profit organisation that helps people with disabilities in Skopje.

Marko typically spends about four hours a day at the computer, but sometimes it extends to 10 hours or more. The young IT whiz also trains in Thai boxing and has a keen interest in physics and astronomy. At school Marko enjoys working out Maths problems.

Marko Calasan attends class at his elementary school in Skopje. Macedonia, which hopes to transform itself into a regional tech centre, could not be more proud of nine-year-old Marko Calasan, who recently became one of the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified System Engineers.

Marko is also a teacher at his elementary school in Skopje, where he teaches eight to eleven year-olds the basics of computers.